Hello everyone! Welcome to chapter 29 of Sparks Ignite! This chapter gives a lot of answers for Ursa and what happened to her after being banished. Ursa's story is loosely based off of the canon comic, The Search. This is still a story based on what I think would actually happen had Zuko joined team avatar and Katara had healed his scar. So I wanted to still tie some things in from canon! As always, I do not own avatar or its characters. Onto the story!

Fate and Destiny are a funny thing. They are so permanent, but yet can be changed by the smallest thing. It can cause the moon and the sun to collide. Or the most opposite Sparks to Ignite.

Chapter 29: The New Life

Katara and Toph jumped down into the trap door. It was pitch black, with no lights to see who their savior was. Katara tried to squint to get a better look, to no avail. But Toph could feel the vibrations, the same ones from on stage, "No way…"

"Oh sorry about that…" the man lit a fire in his palm, casting a glow over his features.

"Ikem…" Katara spoke.

Ikem looked at them with a hint of surprise, "Oh, a fan of the shows perhaps?" he asked them. Katara went to speak but nothing came out, too shocked that it may have just been that easy. "Actually we're here on a different matter…" Toph spoke for her.

The man nodded slightly, "I'm assuming it has something to do with why those rebels were just out for your head…" he asked them. Katara shrugged, "Precisely… Is there somewhere where we can go and chat?"

"Of course, follow me this way" Ikem spoke, guiding them down the tunnel, fire still in hand.

"So what is this tunnel?" Toph asked him. Ikem chuckled slightly, "It is actually for the theater… If one of us needs to spring up from the floor or make a quick getaway, this path has 3 entrances, the stage, the one we just came from, and our rehearsal space… Also known as my home"

Katara and Toph exchanged a look, "Will your wife be there?" Katara asked him. Ikem sighed, "I hope so, we always agree that if anything were to happen on stage and we got separated that's where we meet from the tunnel entrance… I just hope she's safe…"

Katara smiled slightly, not only did she hope to find Ursa with Ikem just to find her, but Ikem was also a loving husband. It was something that Ursa deserved after all the torment of Ozai.

The dark tunnel led to another dead end, this time with a ladder leading upwards to a shell of light. "Ladies first…" Ikem gestured. Katara and Toph climbed up the ladder into their home. It was quaint with just two small rooms, one bigger then the other for cooking while the other was for sleeping. It was small but homey, something very different from the palace.

A woman walked out of the bedroom, holding a small child, "Ikem?" she asked. Ikem came from behind the two benders, "Hello my love…" he went to her and kissed her on the cheek. "Thank Agni you're alright… I was worried sick when I lost you in the crowd…"

Ikem chuckled, "No need to worry my love, I'm alright…" he consoled her. The woman then turned to Katara and Toph, a puzzled look on her face, "And who are you two?" she asked them.

Katara smiled at her, "Hi ma'am… I'm somebody that needs your help…"

The four of them sat in the middle of the room. "So how may we help you two?" Ikem asked, looking towards them, listening. Katara took a deep breath, "We were wondering what you may know about… Lady Ursa…"

Ikem turned slightly cold at this and looked sullen towards his lap. Noriko looked towards him slightly confused, "Who is Ursa?" she asked him. Katara and Toph exchanged a look. How did she not know anything about Ursa? Everyone born before 10 years ago knew of the late Fire Lady and how she was banished.

"Darling, why don't you go put Kiyi down for bed?" he told his wife, "I will handle this…" Ikem smiled at her and placed a kiss on her forehead, before she stood and walked into the bedroom, closing the door behind her. Ikem then turned to the other two, "I knew this would come one day… I hate to disappoint you, but I have not heard from Ursa in over 25 years. I do not know where she is"

Katara turned to Toph, looking for her response. Toph gave her a small shake of her head, letting her know she knew he was lying. Katara sighed slightly, "Sir…" she began but he cut her off, "Please call me Ikem…" he told her.

Katara smiled slightly and nodded, "Ikem… Fire Lord Zuko… was poisoned…" she confessed. Ikem's eyes widened in surprise as he audibly gasped, "Oh my…"

Katara looked down slightly, pausing to compose herself. Toph noticed this and continued for her, "The poison is one that only Lady Ursa had to antidote for… He is alive for now, but he won't last much longer without the cure… So we need to find her…"

Ikem looked down, clearly in turmoil of how much, or what he should see. Katara grabbed his hand, "Please… I care more about him then you know and he won't survive without it… So, if you have anything that might be able to help us…" she begged of him.

He pondered this for a moment. Then, he stood, walking to a corner of the room. Ikem pulled up one of the floorboards and pulled out a box from underneath. He came back over and sat in front of the two benders, opening the box. Inside sat the Fire Lady's crown.

Katara and Toph looked at him, surprise written on their faces. "Ursa found me after her banishment…" Ikem spoke.

Ikem heard a knock on the door. He rolled his eyes, knowing it must have been some of the village children. Everyone else knew not to bother him. He never left his home unless it was to grab food from the market. But everyone knew not to speak to him when he did, or else they would be greeted with an angry scowl and nasty words.

He sat for a few moments, praying they would go away. But the knocks continued, even more hastily. Ikem grumbled to himself, taking one more swig from his bottle and wiping the excess Sake from his chin. He stood and walked to the door, wrenching it open.

"I thought I told you children to –" but he was caught off guard by what he saw.

Ursa was standing at the door, tears streaming down her face, looking more unlike herself then when Ikem had seen her last. Ikem stood, mouth agape, unsure if he was awake or not.

"Ikem…" she spoke, "I need your help…"

"She told me how she had been banished…" Ikem continued, "and how if she was found in the fire nation that she would be executed… But if she went to the earth kingdom and was found, she would be killed or held for ransom that would never come…"

"What did you do?" Katara asked him. Ikem looked at her, "We had heard rumors of a spirit that lived in Forgetful Valley… The Mother of Faces…"

"What if she doesn't exist?" Ursa asked him, "Or what if she doesn't want to give me a new face…" But Ikem took her face in his hands. He looked at her with love in his eyes, "Then we keep looking… I just got you back and I will do everything I can to keep you safe…"

Ursa smiled at him for a moment before he spoke again, "I will not lose you again…"

"We searched for many years… Until we found her…" Ikem day dreamed for a moment. Toph looked at him in surprise, "The Mother of Faces?!" she exclaimed.

Ikem smiled and nodded, "She agreed to give Ursa a new face…" he sighed, "On the terms that she would not remember her old life…"

Ursa looked up at the spirit before her, "So I wouldn't remember anything…?" she asked the spirit. The Mother of Faces, towering above her spoke, "With a new face… comes a new life. You will be given the chance to run free once again…And with that… comes the chance for you to make new memories…"

Ursa turned from her to look at Ikem. He had a small smile on his face. "Whatever you want my love… It's yours…" he told her.

She looked down for a moment, growing the ball of courage inside her before looking back at the spirit before her, "I'll do it…"

"So if Ursa isn't Ursa anymore… who is she?" Toph asked.

Ikem smiled for a moment then looked back at them, "She is my wife…"

Ta-Daa! They found Ursa but she isn't herself anymore! And she doesn't even remember Zuko! So how will they get the antidote? Find out next chapter! Until next time!